London Critics Can't Stop The Beat Of HairsprayLast evening, after five years of wowing them on
Broadway and just months after the
film musical opened worldwide, the stage version of
Hairspray has finally opened in the West End of London. Overall, critics ate it up.
"Delightful" is how
Benedict Nightingale of
The Times describes the show in his four-out-of-five star review: "The musical resembles
Grease, then? Yes, but only a bit, for
Hairspray is wittier, funnier, more good-natured and, without being pretentious, more morally and politically aware....But anyone would forgive the show’s wishfulness, given the ebullience of
Marc Shaiman’s rock, which might have been written for and delivered by Elvis himself, and the quality of
Jack O’Brien’s cast, which matches its Broadway counterpart for energy."
Describing it as "heaven on earth,"
Charles Spencer of
The Telegraph joins in the praise: "Director Jack O'Brien, who alternates raucous musicals like this with superb revivals of
Tom Stoppard at the Lincoln Centre, ensures that sentiment and laughter are mixed in just the right proportions in a show that offers a sugar-rush of pleasure.
Jerry Mitchell's choreography is splendidly effervescent and newcomer
Leanne Jones, straight out of drama school and making her professional debut, has exactly the right bubble and bounce as Tracy, moving with a lightness of foot that belies her avoirdupois. The show might be less slick than in New York, but there is no mistaking its big, raucous heart."
Calling it "the plump girls' feelgood, romantic comedy of a musical" in his four out of five star review is
Evening Standard's
Nicholas de Jongh: "Hairspray...sent the rare, sweet smell of success wafting through the Shaftesbury last night....Leanne Jones, in an astonishingly accomplished stage debut, plays Edna's big-sized daughter, Tracy....It is through Jones's endearingly earnest Tracy, who dances with a lightness belying her size, that links between love, comedy and radical politics are forged....Marc Shaiman's urgent score, with clever, often witty lyrics written with
Scott Whitman, keeps
Hairspray pulsating with musical excitement as well as political anger."
Proclaiming it a "deliciously fluid production,"
Michael Billington of
The Guardian also offers four out of five stars: "But even if
Hairspray, in the process of being turned into a Broadway musical, has lost some of its glorious tackiness, it retains its generous spirit: this is still a show that not only hymns physical difference but also the basic right to racial integration....Where the show really scores is in its ability to integrate serious issues into a lightweight plot. Jerry Mitchell's joyous choreography is the beating heart of the show. There is something dionysiac about it; and, if the show achieves the ecstasy one looks for in a musical, it comes largely through the dance routines."
Taking note that "this exuberant, breathless production chokes all resistance, smothering all in its orbit,"
Quentin Letts of the cheesy
Daily Mail sniffs, "Here is full-squirt, two-dimensional fun, at times almost dementedly full-on. It doesn't tickle you into mirth. It blooming well shoves you."
Sounds like the Shaftesbury Theatre finally has scored a winning musical. Tickets are now available through next October.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 26, 2007)
Hairspray To Brush With West End Style (March 9, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Film, Hairspray, Jack O'Brien, Jerry Mitchell, London, Marc Shaiman, Michael Ball, Musical
Finally! Back To The TableMichael Riedel is reporting in this morning's New York Post that
The League of American Theatres and Producers will finally get back to the bargaining table with
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) one week from tomorrow (November 7).
The two sides, which are scheduled to meet through November 9, have been at an impasse since October 9.
Since that time, of course, the stagehands union -- working without a contract since the end of July --
voted unanimously to authorize a strike. The following day, The League began imposing portions of its "final" offer on stagehands.
According to
Adam Hetrick of Playbill, those include:
Setting the Running Crew
Stagehand crew size and job assignments were previously frozen on the opening night of a Broadway show. The League claims this does not allow enough time to "routine stagehand work and determine appropriate staffing levels." The crew size and job assignments will now be frozen six weeks after opening night. (The Union rejected this proposal.)
Electrician Duties
In some instances up to three electricians have operated the board that controls light, projection and sound cues -- a job that can be handled by one electrician. The new rule says that "three separate stagehands are not required" to operate such a board. (Local One tentatively agreed to codify this practice.)
Premium Pay for a 7th Day or 9th Performance
Stagehands who work a 7th day or a 9th performance (for example, a Monday performance for a show that regularly plays a Tuesday-Sunday schedule) are paid time-and-a-half. Previously, even those stagehands who had not worked all six days or eight performances were paid time-and-a-half for this extra performance. The League and the Union agreed to a proposed exchange whereby The League would not be required to pay time-and-a-half to those who had not worked the full week; however, The League agreed to pay time-and-a-half for all work "performed on any non-performance day where a production performs only five days per week (Wednesday through Saturday)."
Overtime Hiring Requirements
Previously, if only a few stagehands were required to work overtime, Broadway producers were required to pay overtime to all of the stagehands that had been called that day. Producers will now pay overtime only to the stagehands required to work past a given call period. (The Union rejected this proposal.)
Meal Periods
Meal periods, the previous contract stated, must take place on the hour at 12-1 pm or 1-2 pm, and for evenings at 5-6 pm or 6-7 pm. During many load-in and technical rehearsal days, management was left a choice between "stopping and restarting work for an entire department on the hour or paying everyone a penalty of a time-and-a-half hour." The League will now implement meal time flexibility as long as a break is given within 3 to 5 hours of a stagehand's start time. The new rule would also allow a 30-minute break if a meal is provided for the crew. (Local One has rejected this offer.)
Rehearsals and Work Calls
Currently stagehands called in for a four-hour minimum call can only perform work specific to that type of call. For example, a crew member called in for a rehearsal call cannot be required to do maintenance work -- fixing lights or maintaining scenery. Such work would require an additional work call. The League states that they will now require that stagehands perform any work necessary, within departmental lines, on a production while they are being paid, regardless of the type of call. (Local One has rejected this offer.)
Performance Calls
During the performance of a show, there are strict rules regarding what can be required of a crew member. The Union has agreed to allow "work on equipment and related items for promotion and publicity." The League also proposed that stagehands should be permitted to clean up the set, the show's equipment and repair any problems that occurred during the performance. Should the work require more time than the actual running time of the show, crew members would be paid in one-hour increments. Local One agreed to a two-hour minimum call solely to permit clean up for safety reasons.
Continuity Calls
In the previous Local One contract, stagehands may be called one hour prior to a performance (solely for work related to that performance), or for one hour after the performance, but never both, unless producers schedule an additional four-hour call. Producers now intend to schedule and pay for work up to three hours around any given performance, limited to two hours prior and one hour after. This does not include clean up, which may require two hours. The previous union contract also said that if a show ending at 10:25 pm necessitates additional work, the call-time rolls back to 10 pm, requiring producers to pay for an additional hour's work. And, if more time is needed, the call becomes a four-hour call. The League has eliminated this rule, which Local One rejected.
Canceled Performances
Currently, when a scheduled performance of a show is canceled and replaced by a rehearsal or a work call, stagehands are required to be paid for both the canceled performance and the rehearsal/work call. The League will now not pay stagehands twice for the same hours. (The Union has rejected this proposal.)
What's particularly significant about the return to the negotiating table will be the presence of IATSE's Tom Short, since Local One cannot strike without the parent union's authorization. A representative of IATSE must also be present during at least one stage of the negotiations in order for a strike to be formally sanctioned.
The earliest that most expect a strike to occur would be during the very busy and extremely lucrative Thanksgiving weekend. That's when Local One's leverage would be greatest.
As I've said before, The League would be out of its mind to see its theatres go dark during such a traditionally profitable time.
Even though Local One's members authorized a strike, it has sought the upper hand in the PR war. Two days after The League began imposing portions of its offer, Local One President James Claffey, Jr. commended the stagehands for continuing to work in spite of the rules, which he said were "a tactic to frustrate, embarrass and provoke (the stagehands union) into taking action against (The League) in an effort to gain the public support." He also encouraged the stagehands to obey them to "convince our co-workers and the public that this Union did all we could for a reasonable period of time before we were pushed and shoved into defending our families and ourselves."
My last take on this was that the onus was on The League to get back to the table. Now that The League will be returning, I'm hoping that the two sides can bargain in good faith. I'll keep you posted as further developments progress.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Now That The Union Has Spoken... (October 22, 2007)
It's Unanimous! (October 20, 2007)
D-Day Indeed (October 21, 2007)
$5 Million Per Day (October 19, 2007)
Nederlanders: On Their Own Again? (October 18, 2007)
The Broadway Theatres Not Impacted By Labor Dispute (October 17, 2007)
Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray (October 16, 2007)
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe (October 15, 2007)
Stagehands To Vote On Strike...October 21 (October 12, 2007)
The Shows Must Go On...At Least Over Weekend (October 12, 2007)
Still No Lockout (October 12, 2007)
No Lockout Tonight (October 11, 2007)
Lockout Likely (October 10, 2007)
Is This The One For One? (October 9, 2007)
Stagehands' Union Concedes Key Point (October 5, 2007)
Stagehands Talks To Continue This Afternoon (October 5, 2007)
No Monday Lockout (September 29, 2007)
Before The Holidays Strike? (September 25, 2007)
Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)
Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike
An August WorkThis evening, previews begin at the
Imperial Theatre for one of the year's most anticipated Broadway arrivals,
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County.
And the transfer from Chicago's
Steppenwolf now has a little wind beneath its wings as
it won six major awards including Best Production and Best New Work at last evening's Joseph Jefferson Awards -- the Windy City equivalent to Tonys.
I've raved about this excellent new play and believe it will not only be a contender come Tony time, but deserves a Pulitzer Prize nomination. It's that caliber.
During last night awards ceremonies, the show also was honored for Best Director
Anna D. Shapiro, Best Ensemble, Best Actress
Deanna Dunagan (who really has to be seen to be believed -- she's that amazing), and Best Scenic Design (
Todd Rosenthal for his three-story set).
If you haven't already purchased tickets, do so now for this 16 week limited engagement.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Steppenwolf Letts "Juicy" August Move Forward (September 15, 2007)
This October, Letts' "August" Begins On Broadway (August 22, 2007)
August: Osage County (The SOB Review) (August 19, 2007)
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Broadway, Deanna Dunagan, Jefferson Awards, Play, Steppenwolf, Tracy Letts, Transfer
Cheyenne "Chooses" Applebee's?!One of my rituals in seeing a Broadway show is reading the Playbill I'm provided from cover to cover.
Aside from devouring the essential "Who's Who in the Cast" and "At This Theatre" highlights, I also enjoy the monthly theatre quiz, along with stories on current shows.
Yet one dubious monthly feature that I just don't get is the monthly "Celebrity Choice" section. It always includes the headshots of a couple Broadway babies and then showcases the restaurants they "choose." Mind you, the actors and actresses are never quoted in the veiled advertorials. However, you would think that the restaurant detailed below their photos would be one of their favorite places to eat, wouldn't you?
With that in mind, I was more than a little surprised by the entry showing up over the past month with
Cheyenne Jackson of
Xanadu. The heading actually said, "Cheyenne Jackson (Sonny in
Xanadu at the
Helen Hayes Theatre) chooses
Applebee's."
I read that and thought,
you've got to be kidding. A man of such style and grace that he would deliberately choose, yes choose -- if
given a choice -- would prefer to eat at a restaurant like
Applebee's?! Was his only other choice
Chevy's?? I mean, I could see him choosing a restaurant like
Xing (my personal favorite) or something else with a little zing, but Applebee's?!?! I just wonder what Cheyenne thought when he saw that edition of Playbill.
UPDATE (12:21 EDT, October 30): Thanks to Gil for spotting a great rant from Cheyenne himself on his blog where he discusses how he literally stopped the show because of some rude audience member whose cell phone wouldn't stop ringing. Jackson says: "So if by any chance that woman is reading this........I'm sorry, and would like to treat you to a nice dinner at Applebees, which apparently is my favorite restaurant, though I've never been there."CORRECTION (12:52 EDT, October 30): Thanks to Esther for spotting my error above. Seems Jackson thought he was dealing with an errant cell phone abuser, when in fact he was told backstage: ".......Just wanted you to know that that wasn't a cell phone, it was feedback from a ladys' hearing aide." My apologies to Mr. Jackson for reporting his story incorrectly! I'd be willing to buy both the lady and Mr. Jackson dinner! Cheyenne, are you listening?What's your favorite place to eat around Broadway's theatre district? That is, if you even have time to eat?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Applebee's, Broadway, Cheyenne Jackson, Restaurants, Theatre District, Xanadu, Xing
Les Mis Revival Nears End Of The DayIt may be the
longest running musical in the history of London's West End -- achieving that feat on October 8 with 8,732 performances over the last 21 years -- but the current Broadway revival of
Les Misérables will close on January 6, 2008 after 479 regular performances.
Not bad, considering that the revival was originally slated to run as a six-month limited engagement, but was extended more than once. But it is slightly baffling, given that the box office grosses just over a week ago were still pretty solid with the showing selling to 92.5% of capacity, although the average ticket price was just below $65.
The
original Broadway version enjoyed 6,680 performances that stretched from March 12, 1987 all the way to May 18, 2003. After the revival opened,
there was considerable carping that the revival merely copied the original staging.
Although the revival's casting initially appealed to me, to be honest, I never did get around to seeing the revival since I found the original to be so overwrought. It ranks right behind
Cats -- another overproduced longtime box office champ from
Cameron Mackintosh --
on my personal least-liked musicals of all time. But clearly, with its worldwide success, I'm in a small minority.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics: Les Misérables Round Two (November 10, 2006)
The Turntable Spins Again: Les Misérables Revival Opens On Broadway (November 9, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Casting Call (Week Ending June 7, 2006) (June 7, 2006)
Les Misérables' Broadway Revival to Boast Must-See Cast (June 5, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Cameron Mackintosh, Cats, Closing Notices, Les Miserables, London, Musical, Revival
Everything I Know About Frankenstein......I learned from reading this morning's edition of
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals.
Chris Caggiano went, so I don't have to.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Blogs, Chris Caggiano, Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, Frankenstein, Musical, Off-Broadway
Were Critics Cheering Bronx Tale?Last evening, the 2007-08 Theatrical Season's first solo show opened at Broadway's
Walter Kerr Theatre. Directed by
Jerry Zaks,
A Bronx Tale is told by
Chazz Palminteri as he recalls his youth. Critics were lukewarm to positive.
Proclaiming it "enormously entertaining,"
Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press is pretty enthusiastic: "Theater these days is awash in one-person shows, but what makes this one particularly effective is its ability to conjure up a specific time and place, not to mention a parade of appealing characters, even if some are a little less than reputable....The craggy Palminteri, nattily dressed in gray slacks and a blue shirt, has a disarmingly simple way of bringing these people to life."
Despite what he characterizes as a "highly melodramatic climax,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News offers a mostly upbeat review: "There's a familiar mean-streets morality tale here. But Palminteri writes with vivid detail that makes the past come alive. Under Jerry Zaks' smooth direction (except for some maudlin music designed to pull heartstrings), Palminteri acts with gusto and bravado."
"A warm-hearted memoir" is how
Charles Isherwood of
The New York Times describes the tale: "As he strides across the stage with a lively gait, nimbly sliding from one role to another, he exudes a moment-to-moment engagement that suggests that this revival is not a lazy ego trip but a rejuvenating act of faith in the complementary powers of acting and storytelling....
A Bronx Tale may not possess the emotional breadth or sophistication of “The Sopranos.” But, appealingly, it lacks that show’s brutality too."
Downplaying this as "a harmless 90 minutes,"
Linda Winer of Newsday damns with faint praise: "A Bronx Tale," which opened last night at the Walter Kerr Theatre, is a walk down memory lane of what was already a walk down memory lane. Palminteri is a fine mimic and re-creates all the people who shaped his life with the confidence and affection of the man who lived it."
While noting that it's "mildly entertaining and impressively acted,"
David Rooney of
Variety offers a mixed assessment: "Charming or chilling, the recollections in
A Bronx Tale are touched by affection, sentimentality and the poignant distance of time. If the solo show is not exactly robust theater, it nonetheless gets by on the writer-actor's strong personal connection to the semi-autobiographical material."
In his two-star review,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes was hardly moved: "Palminteri is more a journeyman actor who has painted himself into a virtuoso corner. After a rather stilted start, he warms to the task, though some of his characters still seem more credible than others. Just how autobiographical and unadorned his tale is, I'm not sure - certainly, the long arm of coincidence is pulled like elastic, and the bile of life is much sweetened by the sugar of sentimentality."
A Bronx Tale performs at the Walter Kerr Theatre through February 10.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:A Bronx Tale (The SOB Review) (October26, 2007)
Bronx Boy Takes Bite Out Of Big Apple Tonight (October 25, 2007)
Bronx Tale Set To Begin Anew In Manhattan (August 8, 2007)
Labels: A Bronx Tale, Broadway, Chazz Palminteri, Critics' Capsule, Jerry Zaks, Play, Revival, Special Theatrical Event
A Bronx Tale (The SOB Review) - Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, NY***1/2 (out of ****)Move over
Jersey Boys, there's a new kid in town. At last,
Chazz Palminteri's enthralling solo show
A Bronx Tale has arrived to cheers on Broadway.
Not since
Jersey Boys burst onto the Broadway scene two years ago has the Great White Way so enthusiastically embraced a long dormant Broadway demographic: the
bridge and tunnel Baby Boomer goombah.*
And I mean that with
all due respect and admiration. I swear! I realize not every Rialto show these days caters to this long neglected group. But with
A Bronx Tale, audiences of every type can appreciate its universal message.
Just like
Jersey Boys, this real-life story centers on growing up Italian in some of the mean streets circling Manhattan. While
Jersey Boys includes a young tough character who grows up to be a big-time actor (
Joe Pesci), its musical plot revolves around the popular singing group,
The Four Seasons. Contrast that with
A Bronx Tale, which in first person voice tells how a young tough grows up to be a big-time actor (Palminteri) while referencing a popular singing group,
Dion and the Belmonts, who inhabit the same slice of Bronx.
In Palminteri's
Bronx Tale, the actor/writer brings to vibrant life 18 different characters from his coming of age, including himself as a mere boy of 9 named Calogero. At that tender young age, he witnesses the exacting revenge offered by Sonny, the neighborhood's
capo di tutti capi, and ends up in his tutelage and becomes known as "C."
While young C finds what he perceives as newfound cachet mistaking it for respect, the boy also learns from his hardworking father what it really means to be tough, along with a mantra that has held Palminteri to this day: "The saddest thing in the world is wasted talent."
There is no wasted talent on this stage. Palminteri's ability to tell his captivating story in so many varying voices is grounded in fact, even if some of the historical details aren't -- his tale begins in 1960, which he describes as a time when
John F. Kennedy was in the White House (while Kennedy was elected in November 1960, he didn't take office until 1961).
Nevertheless, Palminteri ultimately succeeds in this ninety minute tale, beginning with a moderately amusing foundation and then building and building to a climax that is indisputably gripping theatre. Most astounding was his use of slow motion effect to relay some of the production's most riveting moments.
Make no mistake, Palminteri is a master story teller, from his hilarious lessons on how to know whether a woman is wife material to his heartfelt disclosure on his attraction to a beautiful young African-American woman amidst a sea of racial bigotry.
Told from the heart, it remains to be seen what this
Bronx Tale's next chapter will be, whether it's a Tony nod for Best Special Theatrical Event or Best Revival of a Play. But it's ultimate message is so powerful and breathtaking that it deserves recognition long after its limited run comes to a close on February 10.
* Defined as "a close friend or associate -- used especially among Italian-American men" (Webster)This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:Bronx Boy Takes Bite Out Of Big Apple Tonight (October 25, 2007)
Bronx Tale Set To Begin Anew In Manhattan (August 8, 2007)
Labels: A Bronx Tale, Broadway, Chazz Palminteri, One Man Show, Play, Revival, The SOB Review
Guthrie Commissions KushnerAll in all, it's been a pretty good month for Minneapolis'
Guthrie.
First, it played host to
Sir Ian McKellen and sold-out crowds for the
Royal Shakespeare Company's touring productions of
King Lear and
The Seagull in repertory -- one of just three North American venues.
Then it received major buzz from
Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune for all it does to be a cultural destination beyond just theatre. (Hat tip to
The Playgoer.)
Now, lest anyone think that Artistic Director
Joe Dowling is some stodgy fool stuck in the past, he announced today that the theatre has commissioned
Tony Kushner's new play,
The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism And Socialism With A Key To The Scriptures, which will premiere within the Guthrie's gloriously red McGuire Proscenium Theatre in the spring of 2009.
“Tony is one of the great playwrights in the contemporary theater,” Dowling said. “His powerful dramatic voice has identified our times in a unique and dramatic way, so it is a thrill and honor for the Guthrie to premiere his latest piece.”
While still tentatively titled -- and it is a bit lengthy, isn't it?! -- the addition of Kushner to its repertoire demonstrates a very bold and forward-thinking Guthrie. It should further cement its place, and Minneapolis' (a city that boasts more theatre seats per capita than any other American city save New York), as a destination city for great theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Commission, First Word On New Show, Guthrie, Ian McKellen, Joe Dowling, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Play, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism And Socialism, Tony Kushner
Bronx Boy Takes Bite Out Of Big Apple TonightNobody ever said it was a straight path from the Bronx to Manhattan. Just ask
Chazz Palminteri.
Eighteen long years after his Off-Broadway sensation
A Bronx Tale first appeared before making a 2700 mile westward trajectory to Los Angeles -- and another 14 years after his one man show was turned into a
feature film by
Robert DeNiro -- Palminteri's coming of age story finally arrives on the Great White Way.
Opening tonight at the
Walter Kerr Theatre under the direction of
Jerry Zaks, Palminteri will single-handedly bring 18 characters from his youth to life.
Will the critics deliver a Bronx cheer? Find out tomorrow as I provide a critics' capsule along with my own SOB Review.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:Bronx Tale Set To Begin Anew In Manhattan (August 8, 2007)
Labels: A Bronx Tale, Chazz Palminteri, Film, One Man Show, Opening Night, Play, Revival, Special Theatrical Event
Will Drowsy Chaperone Be Put To Sleep?Did anyone else catch
Michael Riedel's little slip that
Cry-Baby hopes "to slip into New York's
Marriott Marquis Theatre in March"?
Granted, I wasn't exactly thrilled by
The Drowsy Chaperone's rather lame stunt-casting of
Bob Saget as the new Man In Chair (not to be confused with
Eric at Man In Chair), but the tuner
still played last week to 71.9% of capacity and grossed $605,832.
Does Riedel know about some impending closing notice? More importantly, do
you?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Drowsy Chaperone tickets.Related Stories:Putting London's Drowsy Chaperone To Bed (July 26, 2007)
Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 27, 2007)
Did Chaperone Keep London's Aging Critics Awake? (June 19, 2007)
West End Drowsy Chaperone: Another Great Paige Turner (January 19, 2007)
The Drowsy Chaperone (The SOB Review) (October 3, 2006)
Mixed Reviews Tire The Drowsy Chaperone (May 2, 2006)
Labels: Bob Saget, Box Office, Broadway, Cry-Baby, Michael Riedel, Musical, Rumor, Stunt Casting, The Drowsy Chaperone
Bart's Back: Bad Omen?It's never a good sign when one of the key principals in a new show is out with an injury, but that's the case with
Roger Bart in
Young Frankenstein.
Bart has been sidelined, at least temporarily, with a lower back injury. As a result, he's missed some performances since the October 13 matinee.
First I heard of it was via
Chris Caggiano of
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, who posted his scathing review of the show on Monday. Chris saw understudy
Matthew LaBanca in the role of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, whom he described as "game and energetic, and almost letter-perfect in his knowledge of the role. The audience didn't seem to care that the actor playing the title character was out." A pity about the show itself.
Over at the
New York Post, columnist
Michael Riedel uses the opportunity to joke about the show:
Roger Bart, will be out at least until the weekend due to a bad back. (And he hasn't even read his reviews yet.)
Riedel goes on to say that the dark horse in this year's Tony derby may very well be
Cry-Baby, especially since the buzz he's hearing out the
Hilton Theatre ain't that great about
Mel and his new show.
What's that line from the "
Cell Block Tango"? Something about "He had it coming!"?!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Buzz, Chris Caggiano, Cry-Baby, Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, Mel Brooks, Michael Riedel, Musical, Roger Bart, Young Frankenstein
Wildfires Force Closure Of La Jolla And Old Globe TheatresOn the Left Coast, the tragic news consuming the media is the voracious wildfires burning out of control.
According to separate
Playbill stories, both the
La Jolla Playhouse (which is currently dark) and the
Old Globe Theatres (currently home to the Broadway-bound
A Catered Affair) are closed.
Apparently, while the fires are not currently posing a direct threat to either beloved theatre, the La Jolla Playhouse staff was evacuated yesterday and office remain closed today. Performances at the Old Globe for this evening were cancelled.
It's my understanding that due to road closures and appeals to keep routes open to emergency traffic, everything from
schools to parks in the San Diego area have closed. Emergency officials are asking for food and water for evacuees and told those still in their homes to cut electrical use so the power grid is not strained.
Wildfires have already destroyed an
estimated 1,300 homes and threaten another 72,000.
To learn more about what
you can do to help, click
here.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in San Diego, as well as throughout Southern California.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Catered Affair, California, Cancellation, La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, Wildfires
Now That The Union Has Spoken......the ball is squarely back in the court of
The League of American Theatres and Producers.
Yesterday, Broadway stagehands (
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or I.A.T.S.E.)
voted unanimously to authorize a strike against The League (which at this point only covers theatres owned by Shuberts and Jujamcyn), which -- don't forget! -- had previously threatened to lockout the stagehands, essentially shutting down Broadway and shutting out the theatregoing public.
But a strike is not necessarily imminent, since
the union leaders may wait until closer to the holidays when their leverage is expected to be greatest. After all, The League would be out of its mind to see its theatres go dark during such a traditionally profitable time.
Today, of course, is the day that The League will begin implementing portions of its final offer. What that means exactly remains to be seen. To all the stagehands who have been kind enough to offer comments previously, I'll be curious to hear what you have to say about said implementation.
Clearly, something's gotta give here. With yesterday's line in the sand being drawn unanimously, it's up to the The League to come back to the negotiating table.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:It's Unanimous! (October 20, 2007)
D-Day Indeed (October 21, 2007)
$5 Million Per Day (October 19, 2007)
Nederlanders: On Their Own Again? (October 18, 2007)
The Broadway Theatres Not Impacted By Labor Dispute (October 17, 2007)
Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray (October 16, 2007)
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe (October 15, 2007)
Stagehands To Vote On Strike...October 21 (October 12, 2007)
The Shows Must Go On...At Least Over Weekend (October 12, 2007)
Still No Lockout (October 12, 2007)
No Lockout Tonight (October 11, 2007)
Lockout Likely (October 10, 2007)
Is This The One For One? (October 9, 2007)
Stagehands' Union Concedes Key Point (October 5, 2007)
Stagehands Talks To Continue This Afternoon (October 5, 2007)
No Monday Lockout (September 29, 2007)
Before The Holidays Strike? (September 25, 2007)
Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)
Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike
It's Unanimous!Broadway stagehands (
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or I.A.T.S.E.) have
voted unanimously to authorize a strike against
The League of American Theatres and Producers.
Updated: 7:19 pm EDT, Sunday, October 21According to Playbill, there were two additional unanimous votes:A second unanimous vote will allow the leaders to call a work stoppage if necessary, and a third vote, also unanimous, will allocate $1 million from the union's general fund to help other unions who might be affected by a Broadway work stoppage.
But it could be December
before they actually strike to maximize their leverage since the holidays are among the busiest and most lucrative times of the year on the Great White Way.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:D-Day Indeed (October 21, 2007)
$5 Million Per Day (October 19, 2007)
Nederlanders: On Their Own Again? (October 18, 2007)
The Broadway Theatres Not Impacted By Labor Dispute (October 17, 2007)
Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray (October 16, 2007)
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe (October 15, 2007)
Stagehands To Vote On Strike...October 21 (October 12, 2007)
The Shows Must Go On...At Least Over Weekend (October 12, 2007)
Still No Lockout (October 12, 2007)
No Lockout Tonight (October 11, 2007)
Lockout Likely (October 10, 2007)
Is This The One For One? (October 9, 2007)
Stagehands' Union Concedes Key Point (October 5, 2007)
Stagehands Talks To Continue This Afternoon (October 5, 2007)
No Monday Lockout (September 29, 2007)
Before The Holidays Strike? (September 25, 2007)
Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)
Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike
D-Day IndeedToday is the day that Broadway's stagehands' union,
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.), votes on whether to authorize a strike against
The League of American Theatres and Producers.
While I fully expect that they'll vote overwhelmingly in support of authorization, I also anticipate that they'll withhold actual strike implementation as they wait to see whether The League will come back to the negotiating table. As of now, The League is set to begin imposing portions of its "final offer" tomorrow.
It bears repeating that if the union wanted to maximize their leverage, they would hold off on any strike until the holiday season -- one of the busiest periods for Broadway.
Only the theatres owned by Shuberts and Jujamcyn would be impacted.
Nederlander Organization's nine theatres, including Brooks Atkinson (
Grease), George Gershwin (
Wicked), Lunt-Fontanne (
The Little Mermaid), Marquis (
The Drowsy Chaperone), Minskoff (
The Lion King), Nederlander (
Rent), Neil Simon (
Hairspray) and Palace (
Legally Blonde),
will not be struck. However,
there is speculation that if a strike were to occur, the Nederlander Organization would lockout stagehands in solidarity with the Shuberts and Jujamcyn.
Theatres not included in the current fracas include:
American Airlines Theatre (
Pygmalion), the
Biltmore Theatre (
Mauritius),
Circle In The Square Theatre (
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee),
Helen Hayes Theatre (
Xanadu)
Hilton Theatre (
Young Frankenstein),
New Amsterdam Theatre (
Mary Poppins) and
Studio 54 (
The Ritz).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:$5 Million Per Day (October 19, 2007)
Nederlanders: On Their Own Again? (October 18, 2007)
The Broadway Theatres Not Impacted By Labor Dispute (October 17, 2007)
Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray (October 16, 2007)
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe (October 15, 2007)
Stagehands To Vote On Strike...October 21 (October 12, 2007)
The Shows Must Go On...At Least Over Weekend (October 12, 2007)
Still No Lockout (October 12, 2007)
No Lockout Tonight (October 11, 2007)
Lockout Likely (October 10, 2007)
Is This The One For One? (October 9, 2007)
Stagehands' Union Concedes Key Point (October 5, 2007)
Stagehands Talks To Continue This Afternoon (October 5, 2007)
No Monday Lockout (September 29, 2007)
Before The Holidays Strike? (September 25, 2007)
Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)
Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike
$5 Million Per DayAccording to
Miriam Kreinin Souccar of Crain's New York Business, a Broadway strike and/or lockout would cost New York City businesses a whopping $5 million a day in lost revenue because it would "devastate restaurants and stores in the theater district, and even hamper the city’s new international tourism drive" that has a price-tag of more than $30 million.
For those who just now tuned in to this story, most Broadway stagehands have been without a contract since the end of July. Since that time,
The League of American Theatres and Producers gave their "final offer" to stagehands' union,
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.), while also threatening to lockout the union.
Local One balked at the offer, which essentially cut down the number of union members required for load-ins and load-outs -- that is, the move of a new show into a theatre and ushering a show out.
The negotiations came to a screeching halt.
Not wanting to be the party responsible for closing down Broadway, The League backed off its threats of a lockout, despite already instilling fear into thousands of theatre fans.
Then Local One indicated that it would rally its members on Sunday, October 21 to vote on whether or not to authorize a strike (although authorization does not necessarily mean that a strike will occur immediately). Almost immediately after the union announced those plans, The League stated that it would begin to impose parts of its last offer at its theatres on Monday, October 22, which no doubt has added to the angry resolve of the union members. Meanwhile, Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered to help, but was politely refused.
Yesterday, the Nederlander Organization, which owns and operates nine Broadway venues, indicated that it would not follow The League in imposing parts of the offer. In both 1999 and 2004, the Nederlander Organization broke ranks with The League and negotiated its own contracts with the stagehands union. Fast forward to yesterday, when Local One announced that if its members authorized a strike -- and a strike were to occur --
none of the Nederlander theatres would be included in that action.
Despite that assurance,
Michael Riedel today asserted in his
New York Post column that the Nederlander Organization would still move forward in locking out its union members: "Sources say the Nederlanders will not wiggle out of their commitment to their colleagues. Should a strike hit the Shuberts and Jujamcyn, the Nederlanders will lock the stagehands out of their theaters."
Not counting the Nederlanders, the only theatres that won't be impacted by a strike or lockout include the
American Airlines Theatre (
Pygmalion), the
Biltmore Theatre (
Mauritius),
Circle In The Square Theatre (
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee),
Helen Hayes Theatre (
Xanadu)
Hilton Theatre (
Young Frankenstein),
New Amsterdam Theatre (
Mary Poppins) and
Studio 54 (
The Ritz).
While Kreinin Souccar quotes a Local One spokesman as saying "the union will give the public 'ample notice' before calling a strike but concedes that 'anything can happen,'" those of us who patronize Broadway will have to wait and see how this shakes out in the days ahead.
In the end, it's all the ancillary workers who'll suffer the most. They're the wait staff and bus staff and dishwashers and shopkeepers who rely on the steady stream of business coming through each of the streets north of 42nd to make ends meet.
Just like them, the audience members are being forgotten. They're the ones who ultimately keep the theatre alive, and if they can shift their livelihood elsewhere -- including to the less costly Off-Broadway or deserving regional theatres -- they should.
Both The League and Local One would do well to remember that in the days ahead.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Nederlanders: On Their Own Again? (October 18, 2007)
The Broadway Theatres Not Impacted By Labor Dispute (October 17, 2007)
Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray (October 16, 2007)
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe (October 15, 2007)
Stagehands To Vote On Strike...October 21 (October 12, 2007)
The Shows Must Go On...At Least Over Weekend (October 12, 2007)
Still No Lockout (October 12, 2007)
No Lockout Tonight (October 11, 2007)
Lockout Likely (October 10, 2007)
Is This The One For One? (October 9, 2007)
Stagehands' Union Concedes Key Point (October 5, 2007)
Stagehands Talks To Continue This Afternoon (October 5, 2007)
No Monday Lockout (September 29, 2007)
Before The Holidays Strike? (September 25, 2007)
Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)
Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike
Stranger Things Have Happened!You heard it here first!
As
I reported here on Tuesday,
Passing Strange will transfer to Broadway this February. Now the news is official. The rock musical by Mark Stewart (aka
Stew) and
Heidi Rodewald will open at the
Belasco Theatre on February 28,2008; previews begin February 2.
Passing Strange is a collaboration between
The Public Theater and the
Berkeley Rep. It played an extended run in the Big Apple over the summer before moving to California. Now it will fill the space suddenly made available after the
strange passing of Lonestar Love.
The entire Off-Broadway cast will transfer, including
de'Adre Aziza,
Daniel Breaker,
Eisa Davis,
Colman Domingo,
Chad Goodridge,
Rebecca Naomi Jones and Stew. Rodewald will be among the musicians on stage.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Passing Strange To Broadway? (October 16, 2007)
Labels: Berkeley Rep, Broadway, First Word On New Show, Passing Strange, Public Theater, Stew
Did Pygmalion Suffer From Critically Great Deigns?The first revival in twenty years of
George Bernard Shaw's classic
Pygmalion opened last night at Broadway's
American Airlines Theatre. Reviews were decidedly mixed as some critics could have dissed all night.
Proclaiming that it "has plenty of class,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News offers one of the most positive reviews: "[B]y George, it's always compelling and often delicious, even if it does feel a tad claustrophobic.
Claire Danes, making her stage debut as Eliza Doolittle, beams confidence as the Cockney flower girl made into a society lady. Funny and feisty, she turns a scene in which Eliza makes polite conversation about the weather into something with gale-force hilarity....Mays plays the part as a prickly mama's boy prone to tantrums and bad behavior. It's daring. And it works....
Pygmalion all but sings without any music. I could have watched all night."
Dazzled by the "beguiling time" he had,
Michael Sommers of Newark's
Star Ledger is similarly positive: "[I]t's a pleasure to see how nicely the 95-year-old play can still tickle viewers in
Roundabout's first-class revival, which opened yesterday at American Airlines Theatre. The subject for Shaw's social satire -- the superficial nature of class distinctions -- is long outdated. Yet his 1912 story about the unlikely association of a phonetics expert with a Cockney flower girl remains entertaining....Making a lovely Broadway debut, Claire Danes ably traces the heroine's flowering from a 'quashed cabbage leaf' of Covent Garden into a cultivated beauty who enchants an embassy party. Initially performing with a Cockney yowl that sounds as authentic as her later elegant tones -- as well as a consistently graceful physicality -- Danes is a spirited yet sensitive Eliza."
Saying this
Pygmalion is "enjoyable enough," Bloomberg's
John Simon is mostly upbeat: "This being a comedy of manners and ideas, as well as a period piece and British, it requires a good deal from American actors, yet, by George (or Bernard), it pretty much gets it. Only in one place does it fall down seriously: in the casting of
Jefferson Mays as Higgins....There is, however, compensation in a very pleasant surprise: the Eliza of movie actress Claire Danes, who, contrary to preceding malevolent rumors, is a marvelous heroine....She even achieves that elegantly elongated English-rose look."
Despite his awe for the "dazzling Claire Danes"
New York Post's
Clive Barnes gives the show two stars: "
David Grindley's sober, somber, dark reading of the text, joined by
Jonathan Fensom's meager sets and costumes and
Jason Taylor's dimmish lighting, does the playwright few favors....Jefferson Mays, who plays Higgins here, seems more like a shopkeeper than a professor. He is shrill, abrasive and totally sexless."
Citing what he calls a "mothbally, duty-bound heft,"
Eric Grode of the
New York Sun mostly pans: "Mr. Grindley likes to give audiences something to chew on — even choke on — as they leave the theater. And
Pygmalion has always encouraged a director's impulse to tinker, particularly in its final moments....This newly melancholy interpretation runs completely afoul of Shaw's printed directions, and yet it could be psychologically defensible....Mr. Grindley has fallen prey to the frequent habit of defanging Colonel Pickering, Higgins's genteel but only marginally less thoughtless co-conspirator; the poised decency that comes so naturally to
Boyd Gaines actually diminishes the role slightly....Ms. Danes lacks the tonal versatility to rise above this static conception of the role."
Linda Winer of
Newsday laments: "(Danes) has done herself no favors by making her stage debut as Eliza Doolittle....She likes to lunge during excited moments, but her pounce always seems a beat off the narrative....We appreciate Mays' determination to escape the shadow of
Rex Harrison by re-imagining Higgins as a far less dashing fellow. But Mays turns him into a
Richie Rich of a mama's boy, a busy and obnoxious twit with crazy eyes and exaggerated nervous habits, whose feet don't touch the floor when he sits on tables, which he does a lot. Of course, despite the happy end in
My Fair Lady, Shaw never meant this to be a romantic comedy. But without any chemical buzz between teacher and student, Grindley's decision to tack a sentimental spasm on Shaw's clear-eyed final moment feels especially contrived."
Calling it a "misfired revival,"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times apparently was hoping to dance all night, failing to remember that this non-musical was not about love: "For there is not a whisper of mutual attraction between this production’s Eliza and Henry....(Danes') game, conscientious portrayal doesn’t make much of an impression here. The main event, the performance that’s most likely to provoke heated after-theater discussion, is Mr. Mays’s epicene Henry Higgins. Looking like a cross between the 1930s child star
Freddie Bartholomew and
Nathan Lane at his most impish, the smooth-faced Mr. Mays shatters the cranky-but-sexy mold of Henry Higginses past....Maybe I’m just one of those sentimental fools Shaw held in such contempt."
Well of course you are, Mr. Brantley! At least you hold no pretense about
that.
For the record, I liked it much more than many of the critics.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Pygamalion (The SOB Review) (October 19, 2007)
Come What Mays, My Fair Danes Opens Tonight (October 18, 2007)
Pygmalion Revival: There Is Nothing Like A Danes? (July 10, 2007)
Labels: Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Claire Danes, Critics' Capsule, George Bernard Shaw, Jefferson Mays, Play, Pygmalion, Revival, Roundabout Theatre
Pygamalion (The SOB Review) - American Airlines Theatre, New York, NY
***1/2 (out of ****)
If you're looking for a class act on Broadway -- or five for that matter -- look no further than
David Grindley's splendid five act revival of
George Bernard Shaw's classic
Pygmalion now gracing the stage of the
American Airlines Theatre.
And while
Jefferson Mays as Professor Henry Higgins is delivering yet another flawlessly superb performance, it's film actress
Claire Danes who's a revelation in her Broadway debut. With amazing aplomb and grace, Danes portrays the gutter snipe named Eliza Doolittle, first devouring the common street girl's accent and then morphing into the classy dame who unwittingly helps Higgins win a bet.
At that moment when the indefatigably clueless and rude professor deigns to utter the line, "Silly people don't know their own silly business," to an equally compelling
Boyd Gaines (as his fellow confirmed bachelor, the genteel Colonel Pickering) -- particularly as the former pats Eliza's head as if she were a pet -- Shaw neatly underscores his overarching point that class ain't all it's cracked up to be. It's also the type of delicious Edwardian irony that makes this play such a classic.
Through the boorish and overbearing Professor Higgins -- nicely counterbalanced by the earthy philosophy of Eliza's undeserving poor father Alfred (
Jay O. Saunders in a humorous spot-on performance) -- Shaw not only demonstrates that human decency has little to do with class distinctions, but also that intellectualism and common sense don't necessarily go hand in hand.
And speaking of class,
Helen Carey as Mrs. Higgins is the epitome of noblesse oblige, as she ponders early on what is to become of poor Eliza, long before the flower girl herself realizes that there's no turning back to the life she once had. She serves as a strong moral compass, trying to redirect her errant son.
I adore this show and its genuine blissful humanity that echoes in the music of its lyrical spoken word. Concerns among its characters over swear words like "devil," let alone "buggery," remain quaint chestnuts, reminding us how far we've come or gone.
Thanks to Grindley's sharp direction, accentuated quite literally by
Majella Hurley's dialect coaching, this
Pymalion moves swiftly with focus. Helping the five acts roll is the exquisite scenic design by
Jonathan Fensom that magically transports us from a rainy evening at London's
Covent Garden to the professor's study to Mrs. Higgins' parlor with the ease of his zigzagging sets (Fensom also does the honors with his costume designs).
Pygmalion is one period piece that seems timeless and well-worth revisiting. I strongly recommend this show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Come What Mays, My Fair Danes Opens Tonight (October 18, 2007)
Pygmalion Revival: There Is Nothing Like A Danes? (July 10, 2007)
Labels: Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Claire Danes, George Bernard Shaw, Jefferson Mays, Play, Pygmalion, Revival, Roundabout Theatre, The SOB Review
Nederlands: On Their Own Again?According to
Playbill, the
Nederlander Organization is once again breaking with
The League of American Theatres and Producers in their labor dispute with the stagehands union,
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.). Local One made the announcement.
As
noted previously, the Nederlander Organization broke with the League in the 1999 and 2005 negotiations with the stagehands. Now, they are on record saying that they will not begin imposing "portions" of the final contract the League offered the stagehands, but which the union rejected. The imposition of those terms is scheduled to occur on Monday, one day after the scheduled vote on strike authorization.
Nevertheless, the League maintains that the Nederlanders still support the League's objectives.
Also, add the
Helen Hayes Theatre to the list
I previously offered. According to the Playbill story, the theatre that houses
Xanadu would not be impacted by a lockout or strike.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:The Broadway Theatres Not Impacted By Labor Dispute (October 17, 2007)
Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray (October 16, 2007)
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe (October 15, 2007)
Stagehands To Vote On Strike...October 21 (October 12, 2007)
The Shows Must Go On...At Least Over Weekend (October 12, 2007)
Still No Lockout (October 12, 2007)
No Lockout Tonight (October 11, 2007)
Lockout Likely (October 10, 2007)
Is This The One For One? (October 9, 2007)
Stagehands' Union Concedes Key Point (October 5, 2007)
Stagehands Talks To Continue This Afternoon (October 5, 2007)
No Monday Lockout (September 29, 2007)
Before The Holidays Strike? (September 25, 2007)
Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)
Labels: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike
Come What Mays, My Fair Danes Opens TonightFirst produced on a Broadway stage almost exactly 93 years ago,
George Bernard Shaw's much beloved
Pygmalion comes to life on the Great White Way for the sixth time at the American Airlines Theatre. Most notable is the casting of
Jefferson Mays as Professor Henry Higgins and film actress
Claire Danes as Eliza Doolittle.
So who exactly was
Pygmalion? Why, he was a mythical sculptor king of Cyprus who fell in love with a statue of his own making, of course.
Some notable actors and actresses have filled the roles of the professor who sculpts a lady out of a common street urchin, including
Peter O'Toole and
Amanda Plummer in the
revival from 20 years ago (Plummer was Tony nominated, while the play received a nod for Best Revival of a Play), as well as
Raymond Massey and
Gertrude Lawrence in the
1945 revival. During the four short performances of the
1938 incarnation,
Frank Daly and
Norma Downey had the honors.
Reginald Mason and the legendary
Lynn Fontanne portrayed the duo during the
first revival in 1926.
All totaled, prior to the new 2007 revival,
Pygmalion has enjoyed 561 regular performances on Broadway, a feat that has, of course, been significantly upstaged by the play's musical progeny:
My Fair Lady, which has been produced four times on the Great White Way. In fact, the original run of the tuner alone enjoyed 2,717 regular performances!
With
David Grindley (
Journey's End) at the helm, this new
Pygmalion also includes
Boyd Gaines as Colonel Pickering,
Jay O. Sanders as Alfred Doolittle,
Kerry Bishé as Clara Eynsford Hill,
Kieran Campion as Freddy Eynsford Hill,
Helen Carey as Mrs. Higgins and
Sandra Shipleyas Mrs. Eynsford Hill.
Will critics hail this latest creation? Find out tomorrow as I provide a critics' capsule. I'll also be providing my own SOB Review as well.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Pygmalion Revival: There Is Nothing Like A Danes? (July 10, 2007)
Labels: Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Claire Danes, George Bernard Shaw, Jefferson Mays, Opening Night, Play, Pygmalion, Revival
The Rocky Horror Show (The SOB Review) - McKnight Theatre, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, St. Paul, MN*** (out of ****)There's a light, over at the Frankenstein Place.
Well, actually it's a spotlight, and it's shining down brilliantly on St. Paul's
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts through November 10 thanks to
Jayme McDaniel's inspired revival of
Richard O'Brien's
The Rocky Horror Show.
Before I could even jump to the left, step the right or begin my pelvic thrusts -- all of which are gamely encouraged -- I entered a theatre armed with a converted popcorn box serving as a makeshift "Audience Participation Kit" specifically designed to partake in all the deliciously decadent mayhem.
Once inside the McKnight, the pre-performance is already in progress with a montage of creepy cinematic clips from a bygone era. Five minutes out from the onset of Act One, the Narrator (a wonderfully wacky
Phil Kilbourne) appears via film (designed by Jerry Belich, Brian Quarfoth and Chase Kennedy) to instruct the crowd on
Rocky Horror etiquette, all while counting down to the opening.
Sure, this moldy oldy isn't highbrow
theahta, but -- horror of all horrors (or is that whores?!) -- it certainly is fun. With the
fantastic 2000 Broadway revival still haunting my memory, the bar was already set high.
The genius of this revival is its joyful embrace of the cult-like carnival that the film became and writing it all into the show, complete with comments flung back at the stage, seemingly from the audience, but in fact from the wings.
Without a strong Dr. Frank 'N Furter, the show could easily fall apart. Fortunately,
Monte Wheeler delivers the goods with relish. While reminiscent of the film's
Tim Curry, Wheeler makes this role entirely his. And his rich bass reverberates throughout, thanks in no small part to the top-notch sound design by Maury Jensen.
Equally vital are the souls needed to fill the 9-inch heels of Brad and Janet. As Brad,
Bradley Beahen is spot-on perfect with impeccable voice and great comic timing. As Janet, Nicole Fenstad delights as she evolves from virginal to the gal who just wants to be dirty.
Other standouts include Randy Schmeling as Riff Raff,
Nicky Schuenke as Magenta,
Simone Perrin as Columbia and
Joel Liestman as both Eddie and Dr. Scott.
If there's one actor not quite ready for prime time, it's
Ben Bakken as the muscle-bound Rocky. Don't misunderstand, Bakken has great skills, but doesn't quite look the part due to his youth -- especially after having seen
Sebastian LaCause do it, so to speak, on Broadway. Unfair comparison? Perhaps, but anyone who saw LaCause would be hard pressed to forget him easily.
Still, overall this is one delightful hot patootie, rest my soul. And with an ending that incorporates the actual venue into the plot, you'll want to spend some time in this time warp.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, Revival, Richard O'Brien, The Rocky Horror Show
